Rotary engine.



A. D. GILLESPIE. 4

ROTARY ENGINE. APPLICATION FILED NOV. 30. 1915.

Patented Sept. 12, 1916.

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A. GILLESPIE. ROTARY ENGINE. APPLICATION FILED NOV. 30, 1915.

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ALEXANDER DAVID GILLESPIE,

Specification of Letters Patent.

OF HILLIARDS, PENNSYLVANIA.

ROTARY ENGINE.

Patented Sept. 12, 1916.

Application filed November 30, 1915. Serial No. 64,299.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I ALEXANDER 1). GILLnsrin, a citizen of the United States, residing at l-lilliards, in the county of Butler and State of Pennsylvania, have invented new and useful Improvements in Rotary Engines, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to rotary steam engines, the object in view being to produce an exceedingly compact and efhcient engine of the class specified involving the combination with a stationary shaft, head and rotary abutments having a sliding relation to said head, of a rotor recessed to receive said head and abutments, including a novel construction of head, abutments and rotor whereby the expansive action of steam when admitted through inlet and exhaust passages in the stationary shaft may be utilized to drive the rotor in either direction and apply a practically continuous torque thereto.

Vith the above and other objects in view, the invention consists in the novel construction, combination and arrangement of parts, as herein described, illustrated and claimed.

In the accompanying drawings :-Figure 1 is a sectional view taken diametrically of the rotor and longitudinally of the shaft. Fig. 2 is a section on the line 2-2 of Fig. 1 looking toward the center of the rotor. Fig. 3 is a section on the same line looking in the opposite direction. Fig. 1 is a detail plan view of the stationary shaft including the parts carried thereby and the slidable abutments. Fig. 5 is a detail perspective view of one of the abutments. Fig. 6 is a fragmentary section taken diametrically of the casing with the rotor and shaft in elevation. Fig. 7 is a fragmentary longitudinal section of the rotor shaft.

Referring to the drawings 1 designates a stationary shaft which may be supported in any convenient or desired way, the same being shown as provided with flat faces 2 adapted to be engaged by suitable clamps or bearings to prevent said shaft from turning. The shaft has between the ends thereof a stationary head 3 of a generally cylindrical formation but having the opposite surfaces thereof of camlike formation to provide reversely inclined portions 4: and 5 which merge into a high face 6, said faces 4 and 5 sloping inwardly therefrom until they merge in the low face 7 diametrically opposite the high face 6. This is true of both side surfaces of the stationary head.

Extending from the opposite sides of the head 3 are cylindrical bosses 8 each of which is provided with an inlet port 9 and an exhaust port 10. The shaft 1 is provided with parallel steam inlet and exhaust passages 1.1 and- 12 respectively extending longitudinally thereof from the extremities inward to a transverse opening or seat in which is arranged a reversing valve 13 having a single port 14 therethrough, a single passage 15 extending from said reversing valve inwardly and being branched as shown to communicate with the inlet and exhaust ports 9 and 10 in the adjacent boss 8. The arrangement of ports, passages and reversing 'valve just described is duplicated at both sides of the head 3.

The rotor 16 is of a generally cylindrical shape and is shown as provided with bearing openings 17 for the shaft 1. The rotor 16 is also formed with a central circular recess 18 for the head 3 and other countercircular recesses 19 for the bosses 8. The rotor is further provided with radially extending slot-like recesses 20 which intersect both of the circular recesses 18 and 19, the recesses 20 being arranged diametrically opposite each other and extending outwardly beyond the periphery of the head 3 for receiving a diametrically opposite pair of abutments 21. The abutments 21 are carried around by the rotor 16 and are slidable in planes parallel to the shaft 1 and in'the recesses 20. Each abutment extends outwardly beyond the periphery of the head 3 and is provided with arms 22 arranged in spaced relation to each other and having their extreme inner ends concaved as shown at 23 to work in contact with the cylindrical bosses 8, the inner adjacent faces 2st of the arms 22 being rounded or convex to work in contact with the inclined surfaces and the high and low faces of the head 3.

In operation, the steam is admitted through one of the inlet openings at one end of the shaft 1 and is then conducted through one set of ports 9 and 10 in the cylindrical bosses to the side faces of the head 3 where the steam expands between the high faces 6 and the abutments on one side thereof, the steam acting against the abutments to drive the rotor in a direction in accordance with the inlet passage through which the steam is admitted, the exhaust steam escaping through the other set of ports 9 and 10 and from the opposite end of the shaft. By adjusting the valves 13, the steam may be caused to flow thereby reversing the direction of rotation of the engine. The rotor forms by itself a fly wheel and may be utilized also as a band Wheel to deliver power through a driving belt running thereon.

A practically continuous torque results from the construction above described and the operation is also free from the vibration present in all engines of the reciprocatory piston type.

It is preferred to make the rotor in sec tions (4, b and c which are separable for the purpose of obtaining ready access to the internal parts, the sections being, of course, fastened securely and tightly together by any suitable means indicated at (Z.

Having thus described my invention, I claim 1. In a rotary steam engine, a stationary shaft formed with two sets of steam inlet and exhaust passages, reversing valves controlling said passages to change the direction of flow of the steam, a generally cylindrical stationary head located between the ends of said shaft and bearing a fixed relation thereto, said head having cam-like opposite surfaces each embodying reversely inclined portions which merge into a high contact face,- rotary abutments slidable in in the opposite direction,

planes parallel to said shaft and actuated by the inclined faces of said head, said abutments projecting beyond the periphery of the head, and a rotor journaled on said shaft and embodying a circular chamber which receives said head, and recesses in which said abutments are movable.

2. In a rotary steam engine, a stationary shaft formed with steam inlet and exhaust passages, a generally cylindrical stationary head located between the ends of said shaft and bearing a fixed relation thereto, said head having cam-like opposite surfaces each embodying reversely inclined portions which merge into a high contact face, cylindrical bosses on opposite sides of the head through which the inlet and exhaust passages extend to deliver and exhaust the steam on opposite sides of the head, rotary abutments slidable in planes parallel to said shaft and actuated by the inclined faces of said head, said abutments projecting beyond the periphery of the head and working in contact with said bosses, and a rotor journaled on said shaft and embodying a circular chamber which receives said head, and recesses in which said abutments are movable.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

ALEXANDER DAVID GILLESPIE.

WVitnesses THoMAs BELL, J. R. PATTERSON.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents, Washington, I). C. 

